I’ve been using my Google Voice (GV) number primarily as a second contact number for which family and friends can reach me when I’m a way from my phone and working on my computer. I also post the number on trusted website forums and registrations.

For a few months in 2009, a third-party Google Voice app was available for the iPhone, but Apple decided to remove it along with the official Google Voice app that was released a few months later. But now, the official app is back and available for free in the App Store.

How It Works

In order to use GV on your iPhone, you need of course to have a Google Voice account. Once you’re set up, you will be able to use your provided number to make online phone calls, receive online voicemail, and make free calls and text messages to the U.S. and Canada, as well as make low-rate calls everywhere else.

The app interface works similarly to the web platform. When you make a phone call using Google Voice, it first rings back the designated number of your iPhone and then it makes a call to the contact you’re trying to reach. You’re not charged by your carrier””in this case, AT&T.

Similarly, when someone wants to contact you using your Google Voice number, your regular iPhone number is called by Google, which in turn reconnects you to the caller if you accept the call. Your GV number is displayed as the caller ID when making calls, so the contact never sees or knows your regular iPhone number.

You can make phone calls from contacts in your iPhone address book or simply enter numbers on the dial pad.

Forwarding Calls

I mostly don’t answer my Google Voice calls immediately. Instead, I have numbers forwarded to me via email. These emails will include not only the voice message, but also a written transcription of the message. The transcriptions are not always accurate, but they’re great for seeing phone numbers spoken in the message.

Notifications

If you want to be instantly notified when voicemail messages arrive in your Google Voice inbox, you will want to allow the app to send you push notifications, which means the app doesn’t have to be opened in order for you to receive notifications.

Otherwise, you will have to open the app to find out what new messages were received.

Other Features

While the Google Voice app doesn’t provide you the ability to set your custom voice answer message or filter phone incoming numbers; it does allow you to star important messages, set up quick dialing for specified contacts, and view the history of your phone calls and messages — both received and initiated by you.

Google Voice is pretty easy to use and as long as the service is free, there’s little reason not to set up an account and use it. Hopefully, in future updates, Google Voice will be available for use on the iPod touch and iPad, just as Skype is. It shouldn’t be too difficult to set up the app as a VoIP/SIP dialer.

Also, note, there is a third-party app called GV Mobile+ [App Store link] that sells for $2.99. I have not used that app, nor do the features seem that different.

Let us know how Google Voice works for you, both on the web and via your iPhone or other mobile device.

The description on the Google Voice website, when setting up an account, states the calls from GV do use your minutes, and text messages are not free. Thus, there's nothing "free" about GV. It seems to me the only use of GV might be to consolidate a bunch of phone numbers. However, the "Call Phone" feature of Google's Gmail is free calling in the U.S. as you're using the internet to make a call. This feature does work very well....Jim

Thanks, Jim. I’ll look more into this issue. According to the description on the GV app on the App Store page, it says users can “Send free text messages to U.S. numbers and make international calls at cheap rates. “ I need to check more into it because I have to admit I never checked my phone bill to see if I were being charged for my GV calls.

Thanks, Jim. Iâ€™ll look more into this issue. According to the description on the GV app on the App Store page, it says users can â€œSend free text messages to U.S. numbers and make international calls at cheap rates. â€œ I need to check more into it because I have to admit I never checked my phone bill to see if I were being charged for my GV calls.

elcheapo, you know Iâ€™ve never checked to see if the GV number shows up on the bill, so I really canâ€™t answer those questions. According to Google, you can â€œmake free calls and text messages to the U.S. and Canadaâ€œ via 3G/Wi-Fi. You might want to post your question on the MUO answers page (http://www.makeuseof.com/answe... Perhaps other GV users will be able to answer it.

This title is provocative and it's not true. You are using your ATT minutes while talking with Google Voice. But Google Voice is not charging extra for US and Canada. If you call another country you use your ATT minutes and Google Voice charges for calling another country.

Incorrect headline and description. This IS NOT over wifi/3G, so you're still using your minutes and it DOES NOT ring back your phone then connect the call, it calls some sort of Google forwarding number directly (your phone will show it's calling a number other than the one you dialed, but you'll get the person you were calling because of the forwarding).

"When you make a phone call using Google Voice, it first rings back the designated number of your iPhone and then it makes a call to the contact you’re trying to reach. You’re not charged by your carrier—in this case, AT&T."

Why would you not be charged by AT&T? You may not be making a long distance call but you are still being charged minutes.

elcheapo, you know I’ve never checked to see if the GV number shows up on the bill, so I really can’t answer those questions. According to Google, you can “make free calls and text messages to the U.S. and Canada“ via 3G/Wi-Fi. You might want to post your question on the MUO answers page (http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/). Perhaps other GV users will be able to answer it.

"When you make a phone call using Google Voice, it first rings back the designated number of your iPhone and then it makes a call to the contact youâ€™re trying to reach. Youâ€™re not charged by your carrierâ€”in this case, AT&T."

Why would you not be charged by AT&T? You may not be making a long distance call but you are still being charged minutes.